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Jump 45, Swansea

After the last jump, this is going to be another pre declared landing, but the plan for the freefall itself is to just try different body positions, and keep myself stable. Im due to be second out again, with a group leaving before me, the group leave, and about 10 seconds later, so do I. I dive exit, and get stable, then slowly turn a full 360 degrees trying to spot the group who exited before me, with no success. I throw a few shapes just to see how my body reacts, and keep myself stable, whilst keeping aware of my altitude, and when im around 6,000 feet, start to see the canopies open of the group who exited before me, over to my left.

I open at 3,500 feet, to be greeted with one end of the canopy closed, and im starting to turn, i reach up, grab the steering toggles and give two good hard pulls, which makes the end pop open 🙂 and i head to my holding spot, which is quite a distance from the landing area, turn into the wind, and look straight down, and, im not really covering any ground at all. This tells me that for my final approach, i really need to be nearly above where i want to land. 2,000 feet, turn so the wind takes me closer to the landing area, and turn back into the wind, and once again, look straight down, not making much forward ground at all. 1,500 feet, another turn with the wind, then turn back, and look straight down, and the same again at just under 1000 feet. At 500 feet, i turn so the wind takes me and prepare to line myself up with the flag, turn back into the wind, and im a little further away than id like to be, so pull slightly on the front risers, and while this does get me further forward, it also drops my height a little faster, so at just under 200 feet, i ride it out the rest of the way in, and land about 40M from the flag, a good standing landing, before turning and collapsing my canopy.

Its another failed pre declared landing, but its also another jump closer to the 50 marker 🙂